The Peruvian ambassador to the United States emphasized Peru’s economic influence and trade relationship with the United States at a Georgetown University event Jan. 30.
Ambassador Alfredo Ferrero highlighted Peru’s centrality in global trade and its importance to Latin America during the event, hosted by the Georgetown Americas Institute (GAI), which researches and discusses Latin American issues, as part of its Ambassador Series, which brings ambassadors to campus. Ferrero drew on his experience as an attorney and politician specializing in foreign trade to argue that Peru’s location, booming agriculture and mining sectors make it a rising global force.
Ferrero said he feels that Peru will continue to grow as a regional power, pointing to recent port infrastructure developments and upward economic trends.
“We have frontiers with five countries. Our sea, our ocean, is very rich, not only with respect to fishing industries but also because the depth of our ocean is appropriate for ports — that’s why we can have big ports in the Pacific Ocean,” Ferrero said during the event. “So that makes us strategic.”
Ferrero said he hopes to stabilize the country through a stronger bilateral economic relationship with the United States.
“As a representative of the country, what I try to do is to create stability, because otherwise there is no reason for me to be here,” Ferrero said. “So the central government is taking care of the local situations — as an ambassador I try to create stability for new investments because our country and many other Latin American countries need investments.”
Carlos Gerke (SFS ’28), who is interested in Latin American politics, said Ferrero displayed how Peru points to a bright future for the region as a whole.
“Peru provides an example of what is possible in Latin America,” Gerke told The Hoya. “Through investment in Peru, they are showing face for the rest of Latin America and opening the gates to all that is possible. For example, when Peru gets developed, that also opens the gates for Ecuador, Bolivia or Argentina because it shows that Latin America as a region is a reliable trade partner.”
Ferrero said Peru’s recent trade agreements with Hong Kong and the United States, among others, illustrate its important role in Latin American trade.
“We do believe that we are a hub now in South America,” Ferrero said. “We were a hub before and now we are going to consolidate as a hub because of these new investments.”
Denisse Yanivoch, the managing director of GAI who moderated the event, said she was glad the event highlighted a powerful Latin American figure and nation.
“One of the missions of the Georgetown Americas Institute is to bring Latin America to Georgetown,” Yanivoch told The Hoya. “We encourage ambassadors to come and talk to students so they can hear directly from the people doing the important day-to-day job of establishing positive relationships between Latin America and the United States.”
Ferrero added that he is excited about Peru’s future in the tourism industry because of the country’s ancient history and reputation as a cultural and culinary destination.
“I believe we should receive many more visitors than we receive nowadays because we are connected with our archeological richness,” Ferrero said. “We also have something that is very important, which is not new but it is becoming very popular — which is Peruvian cuisine. I call it our new ambassador and it is very important for us, because through the food you begin to know Peru.”
Gerke added that the event encouraged students to take a more global approach to politics and interact with leaders outside of the domestic politics that often dominate Washington, D.C.
“I would highly recommend Georgetown continue to host more events like these and make them more well-known,” Gerke said. “It was a great event that allowed me to actually meet and speak to him in person and this really inspired me to potentially consider a diplomatic career.”
Ferrero said he looked forward to expanding the bilateral relationship between Peru and the United States, including celebrating the 200th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries next year.
“To honor this occasion, a diverse array of activities is being prepared, encompassing cultural, academic, economic and social spheres,” Ferrero said. “These initiatives are designed not only to celebrate the shared history but also to promote a forward-looking vision of strategic cooperation.”